Division & Uncertainty in the Netherlands

by clorenz1 | November 23, 2006 at 09:58 am

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A deeply divided Dutch populace went to the polls yesterday with an aray of issues on their minds, but immigration, integration, and welfare reform took center stage. The governmental division is clear from the election results, and the likelihood of a joint coalition is slim.

Pre-election news swirled around Immigration Minister Rita Verdonk who promised to ban burkas with re-election. In the past the minister had even went as far as revoking the citizenship of a popular MP, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a muslim immigrant.

Dutch Animal Rights Party Wins two seats...

Of course politics will only get you so far in the Netherlands, as a group in Amsterdam tried to smoke the world's biggest joint, but failed due to a technicality...

You gotta give your all if you want to bring home the gold!

Nevertheless, the governing Christian Democrats (CDA) were claiming victory after emerging as the biggest party in parliament. The problem the party now faces is that it doesn't have enough seats to form a government alone or with its current coalition partners. Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenede is now faced with the job of trying to cobble together a government out of a kaleidiscope of ten disparate parties.